Straight To The Train
by pistonsfan75
Summary: "New procedure. Straight to the train." "I get to say goodbye!" protested Katniss. She needed to hold her baby one more time before she left, possibly to never return. "Mom, please take care of him! Please!" Warning: Kleenex! Oh, yeah, and violence, mild sexual content, domestic abuse, all that stuff... But mainly kleenex! Making it M for violent flashback scene. Intense story!
1. Chapter 1

It was reaping day for the 75th Quarter Quell. Katniss, Peeta and Haymitch stood on stage. Peeta had just volunteered to take the place of Haymitch and go into the arena with Katniss.

In front of the crowd stood Katniss's mother and sister. In Mrs. Everdeen's arms was Sawyer Mellark, Katniss and Peeta's infant son.

Sawyer was three months old. It was now up to Prim and her mom to look after the child, since both parents were headed back to the arena. Hazelle Hawthorne was also willing to help look after the tiny boy. Peeta's family wanted little to do with him.

Only Peeta's father acknowledged the baby's existence. He came to visit his grandson at least once a week, on the sly. His wife had forbidden him from seeing Sawyer, but he refused to disown Peeta for falling in love with a Seam girl and refused to deny the existence of their child.

No one knew if either would ever make it home again. What everyone did know was that there would be only one victor. At least one, maybe both, would be killed in the arena.

Mrs Everdeen and Prim both raised their left arm with the middle three fingers extended, and the rest of the district quickly followed. As if on cue, Sawyer began to whimper.

Up on stage, Commander Thread grabbed Katniss's arm, just as her son was beginning to cry louder.

"New procedure. Straight to the train."

"I get to say goodbye!", protested Katniss, but he started pulling her into the Justice Building. Her eyes were locked on Sawyer. She needed to hold her baby one more time before she left, possibly to never return. She pulled towards the door as hard as she could, trying to break free, but Thread had a death grip on her. She reached her hand out in the direction of her mother, sister and son.

Several women in the crowd gasped as they witnessed the young mother being yanked away from her child. Many began to cry, empathizing with Katniss's maternal instincts. All over the crowd, mothers and fathers grabbed their children tighter as they helplessly watched the tragedy unfold.

"I get to say goodbye!", Katniss protested again, this time louder and more frantic. It was no use.

"Sawyer!" She tried again to pull away from Thread. Her protest was loud, ringing out over the entire district square. "I get to say goodbye!"

"Not this time." Thread grabbed her by both arms. Just before she was pulled away completely, Katniss called out one last time.

"Sawyer! Mom, please take care of him! Please!" Then her family was out of sight.

Peeta was also pulled by two peacekeepers into the building before being able to say goodbye to his son. But he was able to quickly yell a goodbye.

"Sawyer! Daddy loves you! Bye!"

Both Katniss and Peeta were shoved into the back of a car and taken straight to the train, where peacekeepers quickly walked them right on board. Then the doors slammed shut, and the engine started up. Both stood at the window gazing in the direction of where their son was.

Katniss rested her head against the window as sobs shook her body, and her tears fell on the train floor. Her legs gave out and she fell against the wall.

Peeta put his arms around her, and the two of them cried together for the son they may never see again.

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Outside the building, Mrs Everdeen hugged Sawyer tightly to her chest as he wailed for his mother. Prim clung to her arm and cried. Gale put his arm around both of them and silently hoped for a miracle that would bring both parents back home. But even as the thought formed in his mind, he knew it wouldn't happen.

Mrs Everdeen, Prim and Sawyer started walking back to the Victor's Village with Gale at their side so the baby could be fed. In anticipation of her departure, Katniss had purchased three goats, one male and two female, and Prim still had her own goat, Lady. This ensured there would be enough goat's milk to feed the baby in her absence.

Prim wrapped Sawyer in an old shirt of Katniss's, so he would have the scent of his mother, and sat in the rocking chair Peeta placed in their kitchen. Mrs Everdeen heated a bottle of goat's milk in warm water, and handed it to her. The rocking chair was where Katniss had always sat when she fed Sawyer.

As Prim watched the boy suck on the bottle, tears streamed down her face. She remembered how Katniss had sung to him everyday. Her voice shook as she began to sing the meadow song.

Deep in the meadow

Under the willow

A bed of grass

A soft green pillow

Lay down your head

And close your eyes

Then when you wake

The sun will rise

There you'll be safe

There you'll be sound

Then when you wake

The dark will have gone

After laying the baby in his crib, which was now in Mrs Everdeen's room instead of the home Peeta and Katniss had shared, they sat down to eat leftover stew. It didn't take long for both to realize they weren't hungry, so Prim took the stew to a family whose father had just died in a mining accident.

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Back on the train, the couple sat at a dining table, staring at their plates. Peeta looked up at Katniss, ready to tell her she needed to eat so she could nourish their baby. It was his habit for the last eleven months to make sure she ate, first to sustain her pregnancy and then to feed their son. Just before the words came out, he caught himself. She was no longer breastfeeding. It wasn't as crucial anymore that she eat. As this realization sunk in, he tossed his fork on the plate and leaned forward, pressing his hands to his face.

No one at the table spoke. Katniss picked up the little glass bottle she wore around her neck, and looked at the tiny lock of Sawyer's hair inside it. It was all she had of him. Peeta wore an identical necklace around his neck, also with a lock of his son's hair contained in it. Effie had gotten the necklaces for them from the Capital after the announcement of the Quell.

Katniss thought back over the events of the last year that had led up to now.

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 _It was their first night back in the tribute building after their first games. Katniss had wandered the penthouse for an hour, unable to shake from her mind the image of Rue with a spear in her gut. She finally walked out to the roof and stared out over the Capital, blankly watching the city life below. Peeta walked up beside her._

 _"Can't sleep, either?", Katniss asked._

 _"No, of course not."_

 _She laid her head on his shoulder, and his arm went around her._

 _"Maybe we'd sleep better together", Katniss wondered aloud. "I slept better next to you in the arena."_

 _"Let's go to your room, then." Peeta took her by the hand and they walked back to her room. He stripped down to his boxers and laid down under the blankets. Katniss put on a knee-length nightgown on in her bathroom and laid down next to him, resting her head on his chest. Peeta's arm went around her and they both laid quietly in the dark. Before long, both fell asleep._

 _A few hours later, Peeta woke with a start. He'd had a nightmare that Cato had pulled Katniss down off the Cornucopia and they'd both been eaten by mutts. Seeing her asleep on his chest, safe and sound, he started to relax just a little._

 _Katniss started rocking back and forth in her sleep and whimpering._

 _"No, no, no…"_

 _Peeta shook her shoulder, but she wouldn't wake up._

 _"I volunteer, I volunteer…"_

 _Peeta shook her shoulder again. "Katniss, wake up! It's just a nightmare."_

 _Her eyes opened, and she looked around, frantic._

 _"Where's Prim?"_

 _"She's ok, Katniss, she's home with your mom."_

 _As she began to wake up, she looked around more and remembered where she was._

 _"You're right, she's home." Katniss laid her head back on Peeta's chest. She listened to his steady heartbeat. Running her hand over his chest and belly, she smiled as his heartbeat sped up. Raising up her head, she leaned in and kissed him on the lips._

 _Peeta instantly returned the kiss, and she turned to face him, her fingers tangling themselves in his hair. His hands moved up her back and rested on her shoulders, pulling her closer. They had spent many a moment kissing in that cave during the games. This was nothing new._

 _Katniss deepened the kiss, her tongue pushing into Peeta's mouth. He turned her onto her back, their mouths still locked together._

 _Finally, they broke apart, gazing at each other and catching their breath. Peeta was leaning over her, and Katniss's fingers were still entwined in his curls._

 _"Peeta, I want this. I want you."_

 _"Katniss, are you sure?"_

 _"I'm sure."_

 _As they made love, they stared into each other's eyes as the intensity built until they both cried out in release. Then they fell back to sleep, Katniss's head once again on his chest listening to his racing heartbeat return to normal._

 _The next morning at the breakfast table, Haymitch smirked as he asked if they slept well. Apparently, the penthouse had thin walls. Both blushed as Katniss answered that they had. Effie shook her head at them, but stayed quiet when Haymitch shot her a look and shook his head to discourage her from chiding them._

 _Every night following, they fell asleep together after making love. Katniss began to wonder if she could fall asleep without Peeta at her side._

 _They didn't talk about their relationship, but they seemed to have an agreement. After returning home, they always spent the night together, either at Peeta's house or at Katniss's. When they were at Katniss's home, Mrs Everdeen said nothing about what was quite obviously going on between them. She heard the muffled sounds, but would just quietly raise her eyebrows at Katniss in the morning, which Katniss ignored._

 _After two weeks, Katniss announced she was moving in with Peeta. It wasn't up for debate, which she made clear and Mrs Everdeen didn't object._

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A loud rap on the table startled Katniss out of her thoughts. Haymitch was glaring at her.

"Effie was trying to talk to you."

"Sorry, Effie.", Katniss answered quietly. "I was thinking about Sawyer."

Effie smiled sadly, nodding her head. Her own children were grown but she couldn't imagine having been separated from them like this when they were babies. She reached over and rested her hands on Katniss's for a moment.

"You two have your necklaces, I have my hair, and Haymitch will get a gold chain of some kind. That will mark us as a team that won't easily be broken apart."

Peeta nodded and put his arm around Katniss. "Sounds good."

Katniss also nodded at Effie. "Thank you."

While the four of them watched the reapings in the other districts, Katniss's thoughts drifted back to when she realized she was pregnant.

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 _It was a month since they'd been back home, six weeks after they'd first spent the night together. Katniss had woken up in Peeta's arms, as usual, but she was nauseated and barely made it to the toilet before vomiting._

 _After her stomach was empty, she rested her head on the side of the tub and tried to remember when she'd gotten her last period. It wasn't like her to be nauseous or throw up. She gasped as she realized it was just before the reaping._

 _Katniss began to panic as she realized she had other symptoms, too. Her breasts were sore, lots of different foods gave her heartburn and she had to pee all the time. She never used to get heartburn, this was something new._

 _When Peeta woke up an hour later, she was still sitting on the bathroom floor, dazed and panicked._

 _"Katniss, are you ok?"_

 _She raised her head off the tub side and looked at him, tears running down her face._

 _"I'm pregnant, Peeta!"_

 _Peeta froze. After a few moments, the initial look of shock was replaced by determination and resolve. He sat down next to Katniss and started rubbing her back._

 _"It's gonna be ok, Katniss. We'll be parents, and we'll raise our child together."_

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Peeta's tapping her knee insistently brought Katniss back to the present. He was looking at her sadly.

"Thinking about Sawyer again?"

Katniss nodded, unable to form words.

"So was I. It's almost to us." Peeta pointed towards the tv broadcasting cuts of each district's reaping.

Katniss watched as her name was called, then Haymitch's name was called and Peeta volunteered. Her hand flew over her mouth and she began to cry as she watched herself being pulled away from Sawyer and her frantic efforts to get to him.

The two of them sat and watched as events unfolded they hadn't been witness to. They saw their fellow citizens looking heartbroken as they watched Katniss and Peeta being pulled from their son. Many even cried, and all over the crowd, parents pulled their own children closer.

As Katniss and Peeta were yanked out of the range of the camera, a woman yelled out.

"Let them say goodbye to their baby, for crying out loud!"

Another woman also chimed in with her. "They should hold their boy one more time! This is inhumane!"

Soon voices of hundreds of citizens could be heard, protesting on Peeta and Katniss's behalf.

The peacekeepers pulled out their batons and began randomly beating whoever was in their way as they ran into the crowd. Screams could be heard as children, adults and elderly alike were ruthlessly beaten. People started running towards their homes, many injured.

Katniss was in shock as she watched. So was Peeta. Thankfully, both their families had somehow escaped the onslaught. Peeta's family had turned to leave immediately, and was gone before the violence started.

Gale had led Mrs Everdeen and Prim towards home right away, as well, as he signaled to Hazelle to also leave immediately. As Katniss watched, she wondered if he'd sensed something was about to happen. She felt grateful that he'd gotten her mother and sister and especially Sawyer to safety.

Her mom and Prim would probably be treating injured fellow citizens for days, she realized. Hopefully, Hazelle would be available to help with the baby.

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Just after Prim had left to deliver the stew, the first injured people started arriving. By the time she returned, over twenty-five people were there awaiting their help. Mrs Everdeen was already hard at work.

Prim immediately washed her hands and started helping to treat the many injured, referring the worst straight to her mom.

They stitched up cuts and gashes, placed ice packs on bruises, healed broken spirits and gave herbal concoctions for pain until late in the night.

Hazelle had come and was caring for Sawyer, knowing she would be needed. She stayed until the last person had left, with the baby boy sleeping soundly in his crib.

As Mrs Everdeen and Prim watched her leave, the sun was coming up. They were grateful for her help, and had sent her home with a large parcel of food. Their duties had taken all night, but they wouldn't have it any other way. They both laid down, hoping to catch a few winks before Sawyer woke up again. More injured people were bound to show up throughout the day. Thankfully, it was summer and Prim didn't have to think about school.

Hazelle came around noon, and more wounded citizens started coming soon after. Prim was sent out to purchase more supplies from the merchant shops. Bandages, sutures and herbs were in short supply at their home, so she quickly bought out as much supplies as she could.

The merchant at the textile store had been treated himself, the night before, and gave the needed white cotton for bandages free of charge. The apothecary also refused to take any money for the sutures and herbs he handed to Prim.

Prim raced home, arms full of bundles, and along the way met Rory, who took half the packages himself and followed her. The front room was full, so while Prim started treating everyone she could, he started helping. He opened packages, boiled water, cut bandages and helped hold people's injured arms and legs while their wounds were being treated.

Once again, it was well into the night and nearly dawn before everyone had been treated. The vicious peacekeepers had left injuries on so many people.

The next day was the same all over again. And the next. In total, Prim and Mrs Everdeen treated over 300 people, with Rory's help, all injured in the beatings after the reaping.

Gale brought back healing herbs for them from the woods whenever he could steal away. Hazelle continued to help with Sawyer while the Everdeens were busy being the district healers.

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After watching the reaping, Katniss and Peeta had laid down in his room on the train, but both knew they wouldn't sleep. Both were used to listening for Sawyer's cries, and the silence in their room felt ominous. Even the sounds of the train didn't fill the void. Neither slept, not even a little.

The next morning, they emerged from his room with bags under their eyes and downtrodden spirits. They spent breakfast once again silently pushing food around on their plates. Katniss wondered how Sawyer was fairing, and longed to have him in her arms. Before she knew it, tears were spilling onto her breakfast, and Peeta pulled her closer to him, keeping his arm around her.

"I miss him, too."

"He won't even remember us, Peeta!" Katniss cried harder as this tragic and likely true revelation sunk in. Peeta closed his eyes to fight off the tears, but they came anyway.

Haymitch looked at the two of them, and poured himself another drink. Effie watched him, forever disgusted with his alcoholism. But a moment later, she poured herself a drink, too. Haymitch watched with amazement as she drank it down.

He smirked at her. "Didn't think you had it in you, Trinket!"

"How could any sane person watch this little family being torn apart and not need a drink?"

"I know." Haymitch stared at his one-fourths full glass for a moment, then drank it down in one gulp. Then he poured another for himself and for Effie. The two drank them down immediately.

Katniss and Peeta were still crying in each other's arms, completely oblivious to their mentor and escort.

Haymitch stood up and turned to Effie, extending a hand out to her. "Well… shall we?"

Effie gave him a knowing smile, then jumped up and followed him to his room. It was how they managed every year, watching helplessly as their tributes were killed. There was no love or romance involved. Just a raw, primal thirst for each other, driven by the need to escape the tragedies the two shared every year. This year, the pain they were witness to was the worst ever, seeing the two teens being torn from their son, so their need for each other was even more intense.

Hours later, they emerged from Haymitch's room to find Katniss and Peeta still in the same spot and still crying together. Effie was thankful they didn't see her smudged make-up or lopsided hair. In fact, she doubted they knew her and Haymitch were even in the room with them. For the hundredth time that day, she internally raged at the cruelty of the Capital.


	2. Chapter 2

**I never expected this much response to this story! Thank you for the follows and faves!**

 **Thanks to choclate lover, Mockingjay59, issy2606xxx, SeamSweetheart, plus two guest reviewers for the reviews you left! Reviews make my day!**

Mrs Everdeen didn't have the time to tune out, even if she'd wanted to. The people of her district needed her more than ever, and it was all her and Prim could do to keep up. Rory had begun helping whenever he could, too.

Her tiny grandson, Sawyer, depended on her to be there in Katniss and Peeta's absence. Only when she got up for his night feedings did she allow herself to feel the grief of their departure to yet another Games. Her tears always fell as she'd watch him drink a bottle of warmed goat's milk while she'd rock him in the chair his mother had always sat in to feed him.

Prim, still just thirteen, also depended on her. Even though the events of the past year had aged her much beyond her years, she still needed her mother.

She had so much to be strong for, but knowing her daughter was headed to another arena, for another Games, almost broke her. She thought back to when Katniss had first told her about the pregnancy.

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" _Mom?"_

 _Mrs Everdeen was in her kitchen treating a patient with strep when she heard the door open and Katniss's voice soon called out to her. The 16 year old had moved in with her fellow victor, Peeta, just a few weeks before._

" _Mom?"_

" _I'm in here with a patient, Katniss."_

 _Katniss waited until her mom was done, then entered the kitchen._

" _Look, I need to talk to you, Mom."_

" _What is it, sweetheart?" Mrs Everdeen was busy putting supplies away, and didn't look at the girl._

" _Mom, this is important."_

 _She stopped what she was doing, and looked expectantly at Katniss._

" _I'm pregnant."_

" _How far along do you think you are?" She was still in 'healer' mode._

" _Maybe six weeks, almost seven. That's how long it's been since we first…" Katniss let her voice trail off and she looked away, embarrassed. Mrs Everdeen let it drop. She knew what Katniss and Peeta did, and knew it was only a matter of time before this happened._

" _How are you feeling?" Back in healer mode again._

" _Nauseous, tired, moody, heartburn, my boobs hurt… You name it."_

" _How are you eating?"_

" _I feel like I'm gonna be sick all the time."_

" _So you're not eating very well."_

" _No, I guess I'm not."_

 _Mrs Everdeen reached into her medicine cupboards and handed Katniss some ginger tea and dried peppermint._

" _These might help, but make them last."_

 _Katniss gave her a hug. She almost never got a hug from her oldest daughter._

" _Thank you, Mom! I love you!"_

" _I love you, too, and you're welcome for the herbs. You have to try to eat, even a little bit."_

 _As she watched Katniss leave and go back to the home she shared with Peeta, she realized that was the first time her oldest had ever told her she'd loved her. At least since their father and her husband, Sawyer Everdeen, had died five years earlier._

 _Later, when Mrs Everdeen saw Peeta returning home from the bakery, she met up with him outside. She told him about the herbs she gave Katniss and that the mother-to-be needed to be sure to eat enough. Peeta agreed to help with that, and she knew she could count on him._

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Sawyer's cries stirred Mrs Everdeen from her memories, and she ran to get him. Prim was caring for and milking the goats. As she fed and rocked her grandson, she thought about how many children say "Mama" as their first word. She wondered if he would ever even learn the word. Maybe his first word would be "Grandma" or "Prim".

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Katniss, Peeta, Haymitch and Effie had arrived at the tribute center. It was prep time now, something Katniss had always dreaded. But, even as the most painful part was carried out, the hair removal, she barely noticed. No pain compared to the bottomless empty ache in her chest at being separated from Sawyer. Since he'd been born, he'd been her life and her world. With nothing else to keep her mind busy now, her thoughts drifted back to the day she gave birth, only three months earlier.

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 _Unable to find a comfortable spot in their bed, Katniss had given up and sat in the recliner in the sitting room. Her enormous belly made sleep difficult, but the large chair offered some relief for her aching back and legs. She'd been there just a little while when a cramp grabbed hold of her belly. It subsided after a minute, but came back soon after._

 _Katniss let this go on for a bit, then called out to Peeta._

" _Peeta? It's time!"_

 _The nervous father jumped out of bed and threw on clothes. Not bothering to check if they matched or were even on right, he ran across the way and banged frantically on the Everdeen's door. This was a pre-arranged signal, so he didn't wait for an answer, but headed straight to the midwife's home in the Seam._

 _Inside, Mrs Everdeen jumped out of bed and dressed. Prim was awake, and they both raced to Katniss's side. The two of them were helping her into bed when Peeta arrived with the midwife._

 _While the midwife checked her progress, Mrs Everdeen held her hand. She was dilated to three. She got back up and paced back and forth in their room, pausing during contractions, until a gush of water soaked her clothes and the floor. Then she took off the soaked gown, put on an old tee shirt of Peeta's and laid down. She was dilated to seven, according to the midwife._

 _The pains were getting stronger and closer together, and Katniss clung to Peeta's hand as each one came and went. Her mother rubbed her back._

 _The midwife checked her again. She was fully dilated. Slowly and cautiously, she began pushing with each contraction. Soon, the head was visible. Katniss cried as she felt herself stretching and tearing, but continued pushing until the head was out. After that, it only took a couple more pushes and their son was born. He was pink, plump and screaming his lungs out._

 _They had already agreed on the name Sawyer, which had been Katniss's father's name. The midwife cut the cord, dried him off and placed him in Katniss's waiting arms. Then while the couple got acquainted with their son, she stitched up Katniss's 3rd degree tears._

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"Katniss!"

She jumped as she heard her name. Cinna was standing next to her looking down at her. She looked around. When had he arrived?

"Sorry, Cinna."

"It's alright. You were thinking about your child."

"Yes." Katniss swallowed, fighting the tears that threatened to spill over. It didn't work, and they came pouring out, anyway. Cinna sat her up and pulled her into a hug, and she cried on his shoulder.

Finally pulling away and pulling herself together, Katniss looked up at Cinna. "So what are we wearing this year?"

He held up the shiny, coal-colored dress for her to see. Flipping the lights off, he hit a button and the material began to glow like a fireplace full of embers

"It's beautiful, Cinna."

He flipped the lights back on. "How would you like a tattoo on your arm with his name, birthdate and footprint?"

"You can do that?"

"I can."

"Cinna, thank you!"

While the prep team applied her makeup and styled her hair, Cinna got to work on her tattoo. In an hour, Sawyer's name and birthday was permanently inked on her right arm, under his footprint. In another styling room nearby, Peeta received an identical tattoo on his left arm from Portia, proclaiming he was a father for all of Panem to see.

Katniss stood up and looked at it in the mirror and tears filled her eyes yet again. Now she had a permanent proclamation of her motherhood on her arm.

Her preparation done, Katniss walked out to her chariot. She could hear the Capital crowds already screaming her name, but she wanted nothing to do with them. She patted her horse's head.

"How did we get here, huh?"

"Katniss!" She turned around and saw Finnick Odair approaching her

"Hello, Finnick."

"Would you like a sugar cube? They're supposed to be for the horses, but who cares about them, right? They've got years to eat sugar, whereas you and I… Well, if we see something sweet, we better grab it quick!"

Katniss shook her head. "No thanks."

"I saw your reaping. I'm sorry you two had to leave your son."

Katniss silently nodded, fighting for control. Finnick rested his hand on her shoulder for a moment, then headed to his own chariot.

Peeta walked up to the chariot with Cinna, who handed them the buttons to push to ignite their costumes.

"Press these when you're ready. When you're out there, I don't want you waving or even smiling. I want you both to stare straight ahead as if this whole event and audience are beneath you."

"That should be easy," answered Katniss. "I couldn't smile if I tried."

Both climbed on and the horses started their path around the circle. When President Snow came into view, both hit their buttons. A burst of sparks flew out from the fabric and spread over their entire costumes until a constantly changing orange glow lit up the dark night. They resembled smoldering embers, which to them represented the fiery anger they felt at leaving their son behind.

As their chariot rounded the corner and was headed back to the stable, Katniss and Peeta caught sight of a couple in the audience with a tiny baby. They looked at each other for a moment, both thinking of Sawyer. Katniss couldn't help it, she started to cry. The light reflected off her falling tears. Peeta squeezed her hand and Katniss saw a tear on his cheek as well.

When the chariot came to a stop, Haymitch approached with two other victors. He introduced them as Chaff and Seeder from District eleven. Seeing the tears on their cheeks, Seeder hugged them both.

After arriving to their floor on the top of the tribute building, both headed to the shower to remove all the makeup and soot from their costumes.

While Peeta was in the shower, he thought back to the night the Quarter Quell was announced.

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 _Sawyer was just two weeks old when Katniss and Peeta sat in the Everdeen's living room watching the opening of the envelope with Prim and Mrs Everdeen. Katniss was gradually getting her strength back, but she was very sore still from her stitches, and didn't get around much. This was her and Sawyer's first time out of the house since his birth._

 _Peeta sat next to Katniss with his arm around her as she fed Sawyer. Both were absolutely dreading being mentors for the Quell. They would be forced to send two of their own district's children off to the slaughter and hope one would survive. In twelve years, Sawyer's name would be in that bowl._

 _Everyone was quiet as President Snow opened the envelope and began to read._

" _To show that the power of the Capital can overcome even the strongest among you, the male and female tributes will be reaped from each district's existing pool of victors."_

 _Mrs Everdeen began sobbing loudly and saying "No!" repeatedly. Prim looked bewildered and asked everyone else "What did he mean?" No one answered her._

 _Peeta stared at the TV, stunned. Katniss looked down at her son sucking hungrily at her breast, and she burst into tears. There was only one female victor in district twelve, and that was her. No matter which male victor's name was called, she would be forced to leave Sawyer behind._

 _Snow was forcing her to abandon her son and go fight to the death, very likely to never return. Yes, if Haymitch went into the arena with her, Peeta would still be alive. But he would be widowed, and broken. Sawyer would be motherless. If Peeta went in the arena and both were killed, Sawyer would be orphaned. There was no two ways about it, this was going to end in tragedy and there was nothing they could do._

 _Next door, Haymitch angrily yelled out and threw an empty bottle at the wall. It shattered, spreading shards of glass everywhere._

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The water suddenly shut off and startled Peeta from his thoughts. Katniss stood outside the curtain, shaking her head. "I thought I took long showers. You ok in there?"

She handed Peeta a towel as he stepped out, to dry off. "Yes, I was thinking about when we watched the Quarter Quell announcement." Katniss shook her head, remembering with him.

As he started to wrap a towel around himself, she stopped him. "Wait. We haven't made love in over two weeks. Dinner won't be for an hour." Peeta looked surprised. "Are you sure?" Katniss showed him her readiness by stripping off her outfit.

"Peeta, once we go in that arena, we will never be able to do this again. We both know at least one of us is never coming out."

Peeta picked her up and carried her to the bed and gently set her down on it. They wrapped their arms around each other and for a few moments forgot about everyone and everything (except Sawyer, they could never forget about him).

An hour later, there was a knock on the door. Katniss and Peeta knew this meant it was time for them to dress again and face their grim reality.

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That night, Katniss had a nightmare. In it, the three of them were walking through district twelve during the daytime. Commander Thread suddenly appeared and shoved a peacekeeper's stungun into Peeta's back. "Straight to the train!" he growled at them. He began pushing them towards an ominous looking coal train.

Suddenly, Thread was gone and they were being chased by wolf mutts. They made it to the cornucopia that was for some reason in the district square. Peeta climbed up on it and had helped Katniss up to the top when Cato suddenly appeared. Before either could stop him, he'd grabbed Sawyer right out of Peeta's arms and tossed him into the middle of the wolf pack.

Katniss woke up covered in sweat and shaking, screaming for her son. Awakened by her screams, Peeta immediately comforted her, reminding her that Sawyer was safe with her mom and Prim. She shook with sobs, and it took about half an hour for her to calm down.

Her screams also awakened Effie and Haymitch, but they both knew Peeta was already at her side soothing her. After several minutes of listening to her heartbroken sobs, Effie made her way to Haymitch's room and they comforted each other the best way they knew how.

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Back in district twelve, it was the first night since the reaping that the Everdeen house wasn't still full of the wounded until the wee hours. Sawyer was fussing restlessly, unable to be comforted. Mrs Everdeen paced the house with him, bouncing him and singing. Nothing seemed to work.

Prim, awake after sleeping for just a couple hours, remembered the shirt Katniss had left behind for him. She wrapped him in it, and took over trying to comfort him so her mom could rest.

After an hour, she had an idea. They had a copy of Katniss's first games, so she skipped ahead to when her sister had sang to Rue as she died. It was a song Katniss had sung to Sawyer, so Prim played it over and over while rocking with him in his mother's rocking chair.

Eventually, he fell asleep, and then Prim did, as well. Mrs Everdeen found them in the morning that way, with the meadow song on a loop and both asleep in the rocking chair.

After that, whenever Sawyer was fussy, Katniss's singing was put on loop for him. Sometimes the Everdeens would play the couple's interview segments for him so he could hear their voices.

He wouldn't understand why his mommy and daddy weren't there for him, or why it was always Grandma or Prim to pick him up and not his parents. Such a tragic circumstance would be difficult for an older child to make sense of, let alone a three month old baby.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for the faves, follows and reviews.**

After the nightmare, Katniss stayed awake, and so did Peeta. Both were too consumed with their thoughts to rest. At the forefront of their minds was Sawyer. Was he drinking the goat's milk ok? Was he sleeping? Was he safe or would the violence from reaping day return to the district? They were not allowed to call home to check on him, at all.

Over the next four days, Katniss and Peeta tried to concentrate on perfecting their skills in the training room, but their hearts weren't in it. With the exception of the career pack, no one's was.

Katniss was out of practice with a bow and arrow, not having been out to the woods to hunt since before the Tour. She was able to brush up on her skills quickly, and impressed the other victors with her skills.

At Haymitch's insistence, they got to know many of the other tributes. He wanted them to make allies, but Katniss initially resisted. After meeting Mags, Beetee and Wiress, she wanted them as their allies. Mags taught her to make a fish hook out of whatever was nearby, and Katniss taught her how to hunt.

When it was time for the individual assessments, the group sat together and joked about to do. No one cared about impressing the Gamemakers anymore. Mags planned to nap. Peeta, and the morphlings planned to paint. Johanna said she was going to strip.

When Peeta entered the training room, he instantly had an inspiration about what to do. He grabbed every canister of paint, knelt on the floor and got to work. He was so focused he never heard Plutarch telling him his time was up.

When he was done, he stood up and stepped aside so the assembled gamemakers could see his work. On the floor was a painting of Katniss, holding a newborn Sawyer. She was looking at him with so much love. He was sleeping, his head resting against her breast.

The Gamemakers gasped as they took in his artwork. Peeta wanted them to know that their Games were tearing apart a family for good. He stopped and looked each and every one of them in the eye. "It didn't have to be like this, you know. Every one of you is responsible for tearing our family apart." Then he turned to leave, throwing his paint brush across the room in one direction, and a can of paint in another direction.

When Katniss entered the training room, she spotted the painting immediately and froze, staring. Tears ran down her cheeks and her lips quivered at the sight of herself holding Sawyer. She couldn't pull her eyes away from the image.

"Miss Everdeen! You have ten minutes to present your chosen skill."

Katniss slowly looked up at the Gamemakers, individuals who spent their days and nights creating new ways to kill tributes. Individuals who lived to cause death. She quickly devised a way to boldly remind them of their own fragile mortality.

She grabbed a rope, a dummy and blood red paint. A few minutes later, she stepped aside to show off her own creation.

Hanging from a noose was a dummy painted to look like Seneca Crane. The twisted beard had been duplicated on his face, and his name was scrawled across his chest in blood red. The Gamemakers' reactions were satisfying as Katniss saw a look of horror on each of their faces. She was reminding them that any one of them could fall from Snow's favor and meet the same end as Seneca.

Katniss gave a bow, her hate evident on her face, and stalked out. As soon as she reached the elevator and the door closed, she collapsed to the floor. Hysterical sobs shook her body as she remembered Peeta's floor painting. She could almost feel the tiny boy in her arms again when the midwife had handed him to her for the first time.

What kind of mother would abandon her child like this, she wondered? Should she have fought harder to get to him? The events of the reaping flooded her mind and she was overcome with grief.

The door opened, but she was unable to find the strength to stand up. She felt as if all the fight in her was gone. All she wanted was to go home and hold her son, her Sawyer, her tiny boy with the little blond curls and grey eyes.

The elevator dinged, but she remained motionless, sobbing on the floor. An avox walked up to check on the reason for the stopped elevator and found her there. He bent down and picked her up, nodding to another avox to open the penthouse door.

As she was being carried, Katniss recognized who was helping her. A former district 12 peacekeeper named Darius who had at one time been her friend. After he'd stood up to Thread, he'd been turned into an avox.

Peeta, Haymitch and Effie jumped up when Darius came in carrying Katniss, who was still sobbing uncontrollably. Peeta and Haymitch recognized him, too. When Gale had been whipped after the Tour, Darius stepped in front of him, telling Thread not to swing the whip again and taking a lash across his face. Now he was here.

Peeta took the sobbing Katniss into his own arms and carried her to her bed while Haymitch thanked Darius for his help. After laying her down and closing the door, Peeta laid down next to her and wrapped his arms around her.

He didn't have to ask why she was sobbing, he already knew. She missed Sawyer, terribly. Remembering his painting, his own tears fell and they cried together again. The pain of leaving him felt as fresh to them both now as it did when they were forced onto the train five days ago.

Two nights from now was the tribute interviews, and the next day, they would be taken to the arena.

The next morning, a different avox brought in a note for the couple just as they were waking up. It was from Haymitch, telling them they had the whole day free. No training in anticipation of their interviews was necessary. Katniss and Peeta could spend the entire day together, alone.

They made love, then ordered an entire day's worth of food, made love again and headed up to the roof with blankets. The entire day, no one bothered them. They snuggled, cried over leaving Sawyer, reminisced about his birth and early days of life, ate and yes, made love again. And again. But, for that part they crept down to their rooms, knowing there were cameras on the roof.

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As they all waited off-stage for their interviews, Katniss and Peeta thought about what they would say. Each victor ahead of them was making it clear to Caesar Flickerman and the Capital audience how angry they were at being forced into another Games. With each interview, the audience grew more emotional. They were attached to their victors, after all.

Finally, it was Katniss and Peeta's turn. Caesar was interviewing them together.

"Katniss, we all saw the reaping in district 12. You had to leave your son. Can you tell us about him?"

"His name is Sawyer, and he's just three months old. My mother and sister are taking care of him, now that Peeta and I can't be there. We wanted to both hold him one last time before we had to get on the train, but the head peacekeeper wouldn't let us. He forced both of us right to the car and onto the train. We never got to say goodbye."

Katniss began to cry as she talked about having to leave Sawyer without being able to hold him one last time and say goodbye.

"I miss him so much. If he loses both of us, he'll never remember us. He doesn't understand why we're not there taking care of him anymore." As she spoke, women all over the audience also began to cry.

Katniss remembered her new tattoo. "You can't see Peeta's, but we both have tattoos with his name, birth date, and foot print." Katniss turned so Caesar could see her ink, and the cameras zoomed in on it, displaying it up on the screens for the audience and all of Panem to see.

"You really didn't get to say goodbye to him?"

"No, we didn't. Not at all."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

The audience began to shout.

"They should have been able to say goodbye!"

"That's their son, why couldn't they hold him, again?"

"We don't want victors in these games!"

It reminded them both of the scene that had played out in their district when so many citizens protested on their behalf. The difference was that here, peacekeepers couldn't be dispatched to silence the protests.

Katniss suddenly got an idea. "We are also expecting another baby in about eight more months." She wasn't really pregnant again, but knew it would fire up the audience.

The audience exploded.

"Cancel the games!"

"Send them home!"

"We don't want these games!"

"Let them go home to their son!"

Caesar Flickerman leaned over to Katniss and Peeta and whispered for them to join the other victors standing at the back of the stage. Once there, they hugged and Katniss turned and took hold of Chaff's left arm stump. Each victor then grabbed the hand of each one standing by them.

They all then raised their joined hands up in the air, the first display of district unity since the dark days, aired for all of Panem to see. The lights began to shut off and the stage went dark.

Back at the district 12 floor, Katniss and Peeta waited to find out what the verdict would be. Both knew the Games would continue. Snow would never cancel them.

Haymitch and Effie arrived and confirmed this. The Games were still on.

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Back in district 12, Mrs Everdeen and Prim watched the televised interviews. When Katniss announced her pregnancy, they looked at each other, bewildered.

Mrs Everdeen covered her face with her hands for a second, then looked at Prim. "Did you know that?"

"I think she made it up, Mom. She was pissing and moaning about her period coming back a week before the reaping."

Mrs Everdeen smiled. Katniss had always hated her period with a passion. "She must have just wanted to rile up the audience as much as possible."

She looked down at Sawyer, sleeping soundly in her arms after a warm bottle of goat's milk. Soon, he may be all they had left of Katniss.

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Katniss and Peeta were woken up the next morning and taken right to a hovercraft with the other victors. The trip to the arena seemed to take hours. Twice, Katniss broke down crying from missing Sawyer. The other victors gave her sympathetic looks, but they were confined to their seats, as was she.

After arriving and being taken to what was commonly referred to as the 'stock yard', Katniss changed and stood waiting with Cinna.

Katniss had her necklace containing the lock of Sawyer's hair as her token. On her arm was her tattooed footprint of Sawyer with his name and birthday.

When the announcement came on, Katniss gave Cinna one last hug and stood in the plastic cylinder as it raised her up to the arena.

 **I'm skipping ahead to the end of the Quell. I want to get to what happens to Katniss and Peeta and Sawyer during the end of Catching Fire and during Mockingjay.**

It was coming up to midnight. The surviving allies were Katniss, Peeta, Johanna, Finnick and Beetee. They had a plan to fry the careers. The girls would run a wire from the lightning tree to the water. When the lightning struck, everything in contact with the wet sand would be electrocuted.

Katniss and Peeta had NOT wanted to be separated, but the others insisted on it. While the girls were running the coil, Peeta and Finnick guarded Beetee while he wired up the tree.

Now Peeta and Johanna were missing, Beetee was unconscious on the ground, and Katniss stood with an arrow trained on Finnick. She was positive he and the others had turned on them and killed Peeta.

"Katniss, remember who the real enemy is…"

She wrapped Beetee's wire around her arrow, and just as the lightning struck the tree, she fired at the sky.

The arena blew up. Katniss and Finnick were thrown into the air by the electrical force.

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In twelve, all the screens in the square went black when Katniss blew up the arena, all power was lost and everyone was sent home. An hour later, Gale heard all the peacekeepers leaving.

He quickly woke up his family, and sent them to the fence. He ran to the Victor's Village, and got Katniss's family out, and had them run to the fence. Mrs Everdeen grabbed medical supplies and Prim grabbed blankets, diapers and bottles into a bag and they left with Sawyer.

After he woke up some of the other miners, they started banging on doors and pulling people out of their homes. Many followed him to the fence, but most ran towards the square just as bombs began dropping.

Gale watched in horror as thousands of district twelve citizens were burned to death by the bombs. Out of 10,000 only 900 survived. They pulled down the fence, since there was no power, and ran deep into the woods, to the lake. They could see the glow of what was once their homes burning to the ground.

Mrs Everdeen and Prim began making the rounds, treating the injured. Hazelle tended Sawyer again. As soon as it was daylight, Gale retrieved his and Katniss's bows, and he and Thom began hunting while his brothers and several other boys fished from makeshift poles.

That night, it rained. No one dared go back inside the district, for fear of the bombers returning, so everyone got soaked. Some makeshift shelters were built, and the most injured were put under them.

By noon the next day, Sawyer was out of goat's milk. A woman from the Seam with a two month old baby offered to breastfeed him several times.

Several people who had been burned in the bombings died, despite the Everdeen's best efforts. By the third day, everyone was cold and hungry, having only eaten a little plants, game and fish. Sawyer and several other children and elderly had a cough and a fever. The situation for district twelve was looking grim.

By the fourth day, more injured people had died. Two older women and several children died from what Mrs Everdeen said looked like pneumonia. Sawyer's condition worsened. The woman who'd been breastfeeding him was too sick to continue to feed him.

The fifth day, it rained again. The hungry refugees huddled together under more makeshift shelters made of branches and wondered what their fate would be. More people died, despite Mrs Everdeen and Prim doing everything they were able to. They didn't have access to their home supply of medication, but there was a whole pharmacy of medicinal plants in the woods.

The sixth day arrived, cold and damp. More people were ill, and everyone was cold and hungry. When hovercrafts first started flying overhead, everyone panicked. They were afraid the Capital had returned to finish off the rest of them. When the hovercrafts landed and district 13 medics disembarked and began to treat people, they knew they were being rescued.

The sickest were airlifted first. Because Sawyer had a high fever and was struggling to breathe, he was on the first hovercraft out.

On the hovercraft, a medic placed Sawyer on oxygen and started an IV for fluids and antibiotics. By the time they landed in 13, he needed a tube in his throat and a machine breathed for him. The medic knew that if they hadn't started the rescue when they did, he would have died. It was still very touch and go.

Katniss was already in thirteen, having been rescued from the arena after she blew it up. She'd been electrocuted, and had such frequent seizures that she'd been placed in a medically induced coma. She didn't know yet about the bombing of her district. Peeta was in the Capital, captured after the Quell.

Aboard the hovercraft, the medics radioed ahead to their hospital regarding the condition of their critical passengers. Every available medical personnel was called to duty. A doctor who specialized in children attended Sawyer as soon as he arrived.

Back in 12, medics continued treating people and bringing them to 13 in order of severity of illness and injury. After Mrs Everdeen and Prim's status as district healers was made known to 13, they were brought on the fourth hovercraft trip so they could help out in the hospital.

As soon as they could after arriving, they checked on Sawyer. He was still critical. A tube remained in his throat, connecting him to a breathing machine. A tube inserted through his nose delivered liquid food down to his stomach. Several IV medicines were hanging above him, going into his veins and keeping his heart rate and blood pressure normal. Wires connected to stickers on his chest monitored his heart. Doctors didn't know if he would make it.

Next door to him was Katniss, and her condition was similar, although much less dire. She also was on a breathing machine, a feeding tube and was hooked to lots of IV medications and a heart monitor.

Prim and Mrs Everdeen kept busy helping to treat the influx of sick and injured refugees. In all, it took 10 hovercraft 3 days to airlift the over 900 refugees. The hospital became so crowded that Katniss and Sawyer were moved into a room together. This made it easier for the Everdeens to keep vigil with both of them. They had an apartment assigned, but both chose to sleep in chairs in the room with Katniss and Sawyer.

After two weeks, the hospital was less crowded, but Katniss and Sawyer continued to share a room. Katniss was improving, and the doctors were discussing letting her wake up.

Sawyer was getting worse, not better. He was still on the breathing machine, but his fevers were higher and more frequent. One night, his heart stopped. As the team performed CPR on his tiny chest and gave him medicines to restart his pulse, Prim had an idea. She suggested they try laying him next to Katniss, hoping he would somehow sense the presence of his mother.

It worked. His tiny heart began beating on its own again. He stayed by his mother's side, right in bed with her. If anyone attempted to move him, his heart rate would slow down. No one wanted to risk having his heart stop again.

The next day, the decision was made to let Katniss wake up. After her sedation was turned off, it took a few hours for her to wake up and yank the breathing tube out of her throat and the feeding tube out of her nose.

Mrs Everdeen and Prim were with her when her eyes opened.

"Sawyer?"

"He's right next to you, Katniss."

She looked down and saw her son nestled next to her.

"He's very sick, Katniss. He needs to stay next to you or else he gets even sicker."

"Can I hold him?"

"Of course." Prim and Mrs Everdeen sat her up and placed Sawyer in her arms. She cried as she held the son she thought she'd never see again.

"What's wrong with him?"

"He has a severe case of pneumonia. When they're this young, it really hits them hard."

"Are we in the Capital?"

"We're in district 13. The Capital bombed district 12 after you blew up the arena. He got sick when we all hid out in the woods and it rained. He got really chilled and there wasn't enough goat's milk for him."

Katniss started to cry as their words sunk in. District 12 was gone. District 13 was real. Plutarch had told her so after she was rescued from the arena, but she had been so angry that they hadn't rescued Peeta that she hardly listened.

Peeta!

"Where's Peeta?"

"He's still in the Capital, Katniss."

Katniss wanted to run and hide at the thought of Peeta being in the Capital. But, she had to stay with Sawyer. She had to keep it together for him. She soon realized she had no energy to hide even if she'd wanted to. Her limbs were weak from disuse, and she was exhausted.

To take her mind off Peeta, Katniss focused on Sawyer. The tiny boy in her arms was so sick. He needed his mother to hold it together.

Hearing that Katniss was awake, Plutarch and Coin came in to talk to her about being the Mockingjay. They needed her to be the face of the rebellion to get all the district to unite. Each time they came, she either went to sleep, ignored them by giving all her attention to Sawyer or threw them out. She was exhausted, angry they hadn't rescued Peeta, and very worried for her sick son. After the fifth time, Mrs Everdeen put her foot down.

"You are not to talk to her about what you need her to do until she AND her son are recovered."

For the next two weeks, Katniss stayed in bed by Sawyer's side. She was getting stronger and his breathing was slowly getting better. After ten days, he was taken off the ventilator and was woken up.

Katniss's face was the first he saw when he opened his eyes.

"You're awake! I guess that means you're gonna be ok." Tears rolled down Katniss's face as she looked into his little grey eyes. "I'm so sorry I had to leave you. I hope you can forgive me." Sawyer grabbed her finger with his tiny fist.

"I'm so sorry Daddy's not here to see you. He loves you very much." Katniss's voice faltered as she talked to Sawyer about his father. She didn't know if Peeta was alive or dead.

Katniss stayed by Sawyer for two more weeks after he was taken off the breathing machine. If she left him, his heart rate and breathing faltered. So she didn't. As long as he was sick, she didn't give a damn what Plutarch and Coin wanted from her. She wasn't going anywhere while Sawyer needed her.


	4. Chapter 4

**THANKS for all the reviews, faves and follows! :-) :-) :-)**

Peeta had been in the Capital for six weeks, being tortured for information about the arena rescue that he didn't have.

After they figured out he didn't know anything, they started injecting him with tracker jacker venom and showing him doctored videos of Katniss killing their son. After several days, he began to believe she really had killed Sawyer.

Then they started showing him conjured videos of Katniss killing his family, and trying to kill him. They told him that Sawyer was really Gale's child and not his.

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Back in thirteen, Sawyer was well enough after six weeks that Katniss could now leave his side without his heart rate and breathing being affected. Not that she really wanted to. But she couldn't keep putting off Plutarch and Coin.

She had a list of conditions that had to be met in order for her to be their Mockingjay. The first was that she spend as little time away from Sawyer as possible. When she did have to be away, she insisted that either Prim, her mother or Hazelle be freed up from their other responsibilities to take care of him.

Coin did not like that they had to work around Katniss needing to be close to her baby. She really didn't like that Katniss had brought five month old Sawyer to this meeting.

"Why on earth did you go and have a baby, anyway? You're only seventeen!"

"That's none of your business. He's here now and I'm the only mother he has. Right now, I'm the only parent he has, until Peeta is rescued. Which brings me to my next condition, that Peeta and the other captured victors are rescued at the first available opportunity."

Plutarch sighed and covered his face with his hand for a moment. "Rescuing Peeta isn't going to be as easy as you think. He's been hijacked with tracker jacker venom. You remember the hallucinations it gave you." Katniss nodded. She did remember.

"He thinks you killed Sawyer and his family. He also thinks now that Sawyer isn't even his baby. Snow is programming him to hate you and kill you as soon as he sees you."

Katniss's mouth dropped open, and tears ran down her cheeks. "How did you find this out?"

"I have contacts in the Capital. They are trying to reverse it when Snow's not looking, but it's gonna be a long road. When he does return, he won't be safe to be around you. Or your son."

Katniss felt devastated. Peeta was being programmed to kill her. He thought Sawyer wasn't even his baby anymore.

Plutarch continued. "We have tracker jacker anti-venom. But for each dose of the venom they give him, it takes five antivenom shots to reverse it. My contacts have put anti-venom in the venom bottles, so the physicians giving it are unknowingly giving the antidote instead. So far he's had twenty doses of the venom, and twenty of the antivenom. He needs 100 doses total."

"When can we rescue him?"

"We're still working on that."

President Coin cleared her throat. "We need you to visit District 8, to film a propo to help generate support for the rebels."

"Who is going to watch Sawyer for me?"

"We'll arrange for Hazelle to watch him. We need you to leave this afternoon. You'll be visiting a hospital full of bombing victims."

"What am I supposed to do for them? I'm not a medic."

"Just let them see your face. It will lift their spirits more than you realize."

Katniss went back to her apartment that she shared with her mom, Prim and Sawyer. There, she changed into her Mockingjay outfit and returned to Command once Hazelle and Posy arrived to watch Sawyer.

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On the way to district 8, Katniss met her propo crew. Cressida was director, and Pollux and Castor were the camera operators.

While on their way, Katniss finally got to thank Gale for everything he did for her family. She told him how grateful she was that he got them away from the reaping before the violence broke out. She told him how valuable his instinct had been when he heard the peacekeepers leaving and started getting people to safety. Without him, there would have been way less survivors.

After landing in district eight, Commander Paylor greeted them and led them to the hospital. Inside, the light was dim. The air smelled like blood, urine and burnt flesh. People were everywhere, with only narrow walkways between. A handful of medics moved among them, doing what they could. The air was filled with weeping and cries of pain.

Soon after they entered, the patients began to notice Katniss. They called out her name, and she went to each one and greeted them.

Many asked her about Sawyer, and she told them he was doing just fine. Others asked her about her unborn child. Rather than tell them it was a lie, she said she lost the baby after blowing up the arena. She didn't want to diminish either her or Peeta's credibility.

Katniss tried to give comfort and hope to each person as she spoke to them. She could feel their downtrodden spirits lifting as she remembered Commander Paylor's words, "The Capital's done everything they can to break us".

Suddenly, Bogg's earpiece beeped. "There's a problem. Incoming bombers. We gotta move!"

Katniss was on the opposite side of the hospital from the doorway. Gale grabbed her and they started running in-between beds as quick as they could. But it was so crowded, they weren't getting closer to the door very quickly. They heard the hovercraft directly overhead, and hit the floor and rolled to the wall just as the bombs fell on the hospital.

Katniss heard the explosions, and felt sharp pains in her head and gut. She saw Gale's face, full of concern, going blurry. She heard screams but they sounded distant. Another explosion rocked the hospital, and she felt chunks of concrete hit her head and everything went black.

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In the Capital, President Snow's yes-men had seen surveillance video of Katniss entering the hospital, so he ordered the bombing. Then he showed video footage of it to Peeta so he would believe Katniss was dead.

Most of the people inside the hospital did die, but Katniss was not one of them. She was airlifted to thirteen in critical condition. Everyone in her team was injured, her being the worst, but no one was killed. The wall they'd taken shelter against was not hit directly, but it took a lot of damage.

For four weeks she lay in a coma while the swelling to her brain slowly decreased. Several chunks of concrete had hit her in the head with a lot of force. Mrs Everdeen and Haymitch were angry that she had been put in that kind of danger for a propo, and both told Coin and Plutarch so.

The camera team was able to get a good amount of footage, and none of it was destroyed in the blast. Messala, the producer, was able to make an amazing propo out of it showing Katniss comforting the patients and then the hospital burning. He was able to capture the sheer brutality of the Capital's bombing of innocent, unarmed, injured patients.

Sawyer was brought to Katniss's side multiple times a day as she lay in that coma. He would touch her face and snuggle up to her chest and say "Mama". He didn't understand why she wouldn't wake up. He was still just six months old. Prim, Hazelle and Mrs Everdeen all watched him while Katniss couldn't. Delly and Leevy, two girls from District 12 the same age as Katniss, also helped out.

While she was still in a coma, Plutarch convinced his Capital contacts to smuggle Peeta to district 13. He was placed in a locked hospital room, and given multiple doses of antivenom every day. The lies Snow told him were linked to the tracker jacker venom. The hope was that once the venom was fully reversed, he wouldn't believe the lies anymore. No one knew for sure if it would be completely effective.

He raged about Katniss's killing his family and trying to kill him to anyone who tried to talk to him. He called her a mutt and insisted she needed to die.

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When Katniss opened her eyes for the first time since the bombing, her mom was next to her and Prim was holding Sawyer.

"Mom?"

"I'm here, Katniss. So is Prim and Sawyer."

"Where?"

"We're right here."

"I can't see you. Everything is dark."

Prim and their mom gasped as they watched Katniss feeling around on the bed around herself. Her grey eyes blankly stared ahead, but her face was panicked.

Prim took her hand and put it on Sawyer's head.

"Sawyer?"

"Yes, Katniss, it's Sawyer. Put your arms out, I'll hand him to you." Mrs Everdeen sat Katniss up and Prim put Sawyer into her sister's arms.

"Mama, Mama, mamamamama..."

Katniss burst into tears. "You said Mama! You said Mama! Oh, my god!" She pulled him close to her chest and cried. "What does he look like now?"

Prim began describing her nephew so that her sister could "see" him. "He's still got blonde curls and grey eyes. He's got a pudgy little chin and dimples when he smiles. He can turn over and sit up and crawl."

"Mamamamama…bababababa…"

"Oh, Sawyer, Mama loves you so much. I'm so sorry I haven't been there for you very much for the last three months."

"Dadadadada.."

"How does he know the word Dada?"

"We show him pictures of Peeta and play videos of him so he can hear his voice. While you were in the coma we did the same with you, plus we brought him in to see you several times a day."

"How is Peeta? Is he still in the Capital?"

"He was brought here by Plutarch's people two weeks ago. He's been getting a lot of antivenom shots, but he's got a ways to go yet."

"Mamamamama"

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The district 13 doctors examined Katniss thoroughly and did another CAT scan of her head, and discovered nerve damage was causing her blindness. According to them, there was a chance surgery could correct it, but only the Capital had surgeons skilled enough to do it. That would have to wait until after the war, as it wasn't safe for her to go to the Capital as a patient as long as Snow was in power.

Katniss began learning how to care for herself without her sight. Prim helped her learn her way around their apartment. Then they started working on her learning to care for Sawyer. She started learning her way around district 13 by keeping her hand on the wall as she walked. Gale taped symbols by stairs and elevators and at hallway crossways to help her navigate.

Prim heard her crying at night, every night, and would crawl out of bed and comfort her. She was hopeless that she would ever regain her sight, and missed Peeta terribly. She felt like a terrible mother that she couldn't care for her child on her own, because someone always had to help her with him.

Plutarch had Katniss do a propo telling Panem she was alive, but that the bombing in district 8 had left her blind. There wasn't much else at this point she could do to help the rebel cause. Coin was angry about this, but Haymitch was quick to remind her that she was the one to send Katniss to eight in the first place.

When Peeta had been rescued and brought to thirteen, Effie, Johanna and Annie were also rescued. Annie and Finnick were beyond elated to be together again, and moved in together as soon as she was discharged from the hospital. Effie and Haymitch picked up where they left off, fighting daily, but finding their way to each other's rooms often enough. Johanna didn't have anyone to come back to, she was just glad to be away from Snow.

Mrs Everdeen was made a doctor in the district thirteen hospital. Prim and Rory trained as medics, then began training to become doctors. Ever since helping treat injured people after the 75th reaping exploded in violence, Rory had been interested in learning the art of healing.

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Peeta was slowly starting to understand that Katniss wasn't a threat, and that Sawyer was his child and not Gale's. Just to prove it to him, a doctor ran a DNA test on Sawyer and showed him the results.

Katniss was able to talk to him a little at a time, but he had to be restrained and someone else was always in the room with them. Sometimes it was Boggs, other times it was someone else strong and capable of protecting Katniss if necessary. She wouldn't be able to see an attack coming if he broke a restraint and lunged for her.

The first time she came in to see him, he screamed at her that she killed his family, so she was led out after just a couple minutes. The next time was the same, but after that he was calm enough to actually talk to her. He knew now he still loved her, and she told him she had never stopped loving him.

When his antivenom shots were almost done, he was able to see Sawyer. Mrs Everdeen and Boggs brought him in. He cried as he held his son for the first time since the reaping. His baby boy was now 7 months old. Thanks to the Capital, he'd missed four months of Sawyer's life.

After he was left alone again, his mind drifted back to the morning of the reaping, when they had to say goodbye to Sawyer.

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 _As always, Sawyer had been up several times to eat during the night. Because they knew they would have to leave him, both parents woke up with him each time._

 _Around noon, after spending several hours cuddling the baby and talking to him and crying, Katniss and Peeta brought him over to her mom and sister's house. While Katniss fed him one last time, Peeta and Gale brought over the crib and rocking chair, along with Sawyer's clothes, bottles and diapers. Then they brought the goats over, which were to be Sawyer's food source in Katniss's absence, and tied them in the back yard._

 _Then both parents sat in the Everdeen's living room and held Sawyer and cried until the last possible moment, when they had to leave._

 _Peacekeepers showed up to escort the victors to the reaping. Katniss had been planning to carry Sawyer until she had to go up on stage, but a peacekeeper took him out of her arms. She burst into tears, and Mrs Everdeen insisted they hand the baby over to her if they weren't going to allow Katniss to hold him. After a moment, they did._

Peeta was slowly getting better, and finally seeing Sawyer and getting to hold him helped tremendously. He was finally allowed to leave the hospital and moved into an apartment with Katniss and Sawyer next to the Everdeen's.

Katniss was relieved he was better, and both cried when they were finally in each other's arms again. After they were separated during the Quell and Peeta had been taken to the Capital, neither thought they would see each other again. As soon as they had a moment alone in their apartment and Sawyer was asleep, they made love for the first time in four months.

Peeta was given the job of baking bread and rolls in the kitchen. Two weeks after moving in with Katniss, he was down in command with Coin and Plutarch. They wanted him to do propos for them, but he didn't want to be away from Katniss and Sawyer. He didn't even want to be away from them for this but Coin had insisted he come for a meeting and leave Katniss alone with Sawyer. She hadn't arranged for anyone to stay with her.

While down there, signals suddenly started beeping showing twelve Capital attack planes entering district 13 airspace. Peeta immediately jumped up and ran towards his apartment as the screech of an air raid siren filled the air. He could hear Coin yelling at him to go downstairs, to let Katniss come downstairs on her own. What? She knew Katniss was alone with Sawyer and blind and would be frantically trying to get hold of him and find the stairs all by herself.

Which is exactly what happened. She wasn't happy at being left alone either, especially since she didn't trust Coin and didn't want Peeta in harm's way. When the alarm began to sound, Katniss used her keen sense of hearing to locate Sawyer in the apartment and grabbed him and a bottle and a diaper. Then she headed out in the hallway and tried to use the taped directions that Gale had placed on corners. She needed to get down to the 40th floor, but she was getting turned around and was quickly getting lost.

Realizing she had no idea where she was, and hearing Capital planes overhead, Katniss began yelling for Peeta and calling for help. As bombs began to hit the compound, she was knocked off her feet. She was just standing up again when more explosions knocked her off her feet again and she dropped Sawyer. He started to crawl away and she was able to grab him using her keen hearing and stand back up. She was determined they would survive this, so she worked her way to the wall and began feeling around for the taped directions again. She also continued to call for help, hoping by some miracle somebody would hear her.

Meanwhile, Peeta had reached their apartment, only to find it empty. He realized Katniss had grabbed Sawyer and was trying to get to the bunker herself. He began looking around the hallway calling for her, but was getting knocked off his feet by explosions. After the third time, he thought he heard her frantically calling his name. A minute later, he found her, crouching on a staircase, clutching Sawyer.

Peeta quickly scooped her and Sawyer into his arms and carried them down the stairs as fast as he could. They made it just before the blast doors closed, and he set her down on her feet and led her to their bunk. Then he got their pack from the check-in. When he returned, they cuddled together with Sawyer and felt the explosions hitting the district.

After two days of staggered attacks, it seemed to have calmed down. The district remained in the bunker, but were walking around. Suddenly, a series of rapid-fire explosions rocked the district harder than before. Katniss had been walking with Peeta and he was holding Sawyer. When the explosions hit, she was knocked off her feet and hit her head on the wall. It knocked her unconscious. Peeta handed Sawyer to Prim, who'd been nearby, and carried her to the bunker infirmary. She woke up about an hour later.

"Peeta?"

"I'm right here, Katniss."

"I can see! I can see you!"

"Really?"

"Yes! Give me Sawyer!"

Prim handed Katniss her son right away. "Oh my god, Sawyer, you're so beautiful! I didn't think I'd ever see you again!" She planted several kisses on her little boy's face.

She turned to Peeta. "I haven't actually seen you since the Quell. I love you so much, Peeta!" She leaned over and kissed him.

"I love you, too, Katniss!"

 **Nope, not the end! Now that Katniss has her eyesight again, Coin has plans for her. Of course...**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter five

District thirteen stayed down in the bunker for five days, not emerging until there had been a full 24 hours after the last bomb fell.

Peeta did a propo outside, by a huge crater created by the bombing. His intent was to tell President Snow and Panem that they had survived a Capital bombing with no casualties.

A few days after they'd all left the bunker, Katniss and Peeta were summoned to Command. Coin wanted her help with getting district two to the rebel's side and with taking over the Nut. Both would go, along with Gale. Sawyer would be cared for by Mrs Everdeen, Hazelle and Prim.

Once again, both parents were being sent into danger. Not the same as when they went to the arena, but there was still a small chance they wouldn't come back.

In district two, Peeta, Katniss and Gale were introduced to Commander Lyme. With President Coin on a video call on a large screen, they discussed their situation.

The district two rebels had attempted several times to storm the Nut, but were defeated. Nearly half of the rebel force in the district had been lost. President Coin argued with Commander Lyme that they needed to continue to try to storm the Nut, but Lyme refused.

Gale broke into their argument.

"Look at it like a wild dog den. You're not going to fight your way in, so you either smoke them out or block them in. In this case, we can disable it and block them in. We can drop bombs on the actual mountain, causing rock slides."

That evening, the plan was carried out. While hovercraft dropped bombs on the Nut, Katniss was suited up in her Mockingjay outfit, ready to implore the loyalists to surrender. Peeta was ready for battle, standing with the other rebel soldiers near where the train would bring out survivors.

Soon after the first train arrived from inside the Nut, loyalist soldiers disembarked and were ordered to the ground. Katniss began speaking to them on her microphone, asking them to turn their weapons to Snow instead of the rebels. One of the loyalists jumped up and fired two shots at her, both of which hit her abdomen and she was knocked backwards and went unconscious soon after.

As she was being rushed to the hovercraft, Peeta quickly ran to her side. Boggs called him back, but he insisted on returning to thirteen with her.

Cinna had designed the Mockingjay outfit with armor every bit as strong as what the peacekeepers wore. The bullets never reached her, but the impact ruptured her spleen and she was hemorrhaging inside her gut. As soon as the hovercraft reached 13, she was rushed to surgery to remove her spleen and stop the internal bleeding.

During the surgery, the surgical scrub nurse noticed vaginal bleeding. It was quickly determined that Katniss had been pregnant, but the gunshots had caused her to miscarry not one, but two babies. She'd been about eight weeks pregnant with twins, but hadn't suspected, having been preoccupied with Peeta, Sawyer and losing and then regaining her vision. She forgot to notice that her period was late since moving into the apartment with Peeta.

After the surgery, the doctor came out to the waiting room and talked to Peeta, Prim and Mrs Everdeen. She told them about the babies Katniss had just miscarried, and Peeta agreed to be the one to tell her about it.

When she woke up, Peeta was there next to her.

"Peeta?"

"You're awake! Hi, beautiful!"

"What happened?"

"Do you remember being shot?"

"Yes, but then everything went black."

"Cinna designed that outfit to withstand even peacekeeper bullets, so they never pierced your skin. The impact ruptured your spleen, though, so they had to take you to emergency surgery. Your belly was full of blood by the time they got you back here."

Peeta paused, allowing Katniss to absorb what he'd just told her before continuing.

"There's more, Katniss."

"What?"

"You were about 8 weeks pregnant, with twins."

"I'm what? I'm pregnant?" Katniss looked shocked.

"No, sweetheart. You were. You lost them."

"Oh, no…" Katniss covered her face with her hands and cried. "If I'd been paying more attention to my body, I'd have known and I could have refused to go to district 2."

"Don't blame yourself Katniss. You had a lot on your mind."

"Are you angry with me?" Katniss looked up at Peeta, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Of course not, Katniss. I love you!"

"I love you, too, Peeta!"

"Katniss we should name them. It was too soon to tell the genders, but we can still give them names."

"How about Rue and Mags? After my ally from the first games, and our ally from the second."

"That's a great idea, Katniss. Rue and Mags."

Peeta laid down next to Katniss and held her close to him while they both cried for their lost babies. Soon they both fell asleep.

Mrs Everdeen came in with Sawyer, and woke them up, knowing Katniss would want to see her son. She sat right up, despite the pain from her surgery, and put her arms out for the eight month old.

"Mamamamama Dadadadada" Both parents hugged their baby boy. Katniss kissed the top of his head. He pointed at Mrs Everdeen. "Gagagagagaga"

Katniss's mom broke into a huge grin. "That's right, I'm Grandma!"

Then Sawyer pointed at Prim. "Pipipipipi" Prim's mouth dropped. "You know my name, you little peanut!"

Katniss held Sawyer tightly to her chest. "He's been with Mom and Prim more than us, it seems. I'm glad he knows our names. Seems like we've spent half his life away from him in some way or other."

Peeta put his arm around both of them. "We're not gonna leave him again. They can't keep pulling us away from him so we can carry out their agendas. We're parents, not just teenagers without responsibilities who can do their bidding whenever they want us."

Katniss stayed in the hospital three more days, so the doctors could watch her recovery and make sure the hemorrhaging hadn't caused her blood counts to drop too low. Peeta and Sawyer never left her side. She was finally discharged, and they returned to their apartment. Part of her discharge instructions was not having sex for six weeks because of her miscarriage. Her body needed to heal.

Within a week, Coin was calling them both to Command. She needed them for filming propos in the Capital. Both refused to go.

"We're not leaving Sawyer again. He's barely seen us over the last five months. Katniss's mom and sister care for him more than we do."

Coin was furious. "We rescued you from the arena, Katniss, so you could be our Mockingjay for the rebellion. You need to fulfill your duties."

"I have fulfilled my duties. The districts are all united. Now I want to stop being the Mockingjay and live with my husband and son."

"You can't stop being the Mockingjay. That's all there is to it."

"Yes, I can and I will."

"Then I'm placing you both under arrest and declaring you unfit parents. Sawyer will be placed with a different family, and you two will remain in jail until you decide to cooperate."

Katniss looked at Peeta in horror. This was just like the reaping. They were taking Sawyer away!

A security guard walked up to her and took Sawyer out of her arms. Katniss started screaming. Another security guard cuffed her and Peeta was put in handcuffs, too.

"You can't take my son. Don't touch my son! Sawyer! He needs his mother. Give me back my son."

Just before they were both led out of Command, Peeta locked eyes with Coin. "You are just like Snow, and you will pay for this."

Katniss continued to scream all the way down the hall at Coin and everyone else not to take her son away. Peeta was quiet for the moment, but on the way to his cell he told the guards that this was just like the Capital. They were separated, but at least they were right next to each other, so they could talk.

Katniss leaned against the wall closest to Peeta's cell, and he did the same on his side. They held hands through the bars and Katniss cried. The world seemed intent on keeping them from raising their son. First Snow with the Games and hijacking Peeta. Then Katniss's many injuries doing propos for the rebels, both in eight and in two. Now this.

When Plutarch visited them shortly after they were imprisoned, he had a hard time convincing them he was on their side. They finally told him about their agreement to go on a hunger strike until they were freed and given their son back.

Word got to Haymitch and Effie right away about what happened to Katniss and Peeta, via Boggs, who had secretly gone to their apartment. He may have been Coin's first in command, but he completely disagreed with her latest actions. Haymitch thanked him for letting them know right away, and asked him to get Gale from wherever he was.

Haymitch sent Effie to get Hazelle and Mrs Everdeen. When she returned with the two women and Boggs returned with Gale, they all put their heads together to figure out what to do. Before returning to Command, Boggs revealed where Sawyer was, and Mrs Everdeen and Hazelle went to retrieve him. They brought his crib to the Everdeen's, and returned with him to Haymitch and Effie's apartment.

No one knew what to do yet, but they all knew Coin absolutely could not be allowed to get away with what she did to Katniss and Peeta. She would not be allowed to bully people like Snow always had.

Plutarch came to Haymitch's apartment during their secret meeting. He instantly found himself on the receiving end of five people's anger. They all knew he was aligned with Coin. It took him an hour to convince them he wasn't on her side with this.

He revealed that in the hours since their arrest, he'd been in to talk with Katniss and Peeta, who were in separate but adjoining cells. They were both going to go on a hunger strike until they were freed and given their son back.

Gale immediately spoke up that he, too, was going on a hunger strike with them. Then Haymitch and Effie pledged to do it, too. Mrs Everdeen and Hazelle agreed, and then Plutarch actually did, too. When Prim learned of the situation and the hunger strike, she wanted to do it as well. But no one under eighteen was being allowed to join.

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Over the next day, many other adults from twelve also agreed. Within three days, 600 adults from twelve and also thirteen were on a hunger strike for Katniss and Peeta. Within a week, the number increased to 900.

No one wanted to be subjected to the whims of this female version of Snow. This sentiment permeated through the district twelve and thirteen citizens alike. If Coin could treat a young family this way, who's to say one of them wasn't next? Support for the president of district thirteen was eroding rapidly. There was even talk of making Boggs their leader. It was a rebellion within a rebellion in the making.

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Katniss and Peeta stayed by the corners closest to each other and held hands nearly all the time. Neither slept much, and of course neither ate. Katniss cried for hours every day.

But Peeta had the hardest time. Being in the prison was giving him flashbacks of his torture in the Capital. He frequently screamed out as horrific memories flooded his head. His recovery, so painstakingly obtained, was being set back months. It broke Katniss's heart to see him this way.

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Gale and Beetee secretly got word to Paylor of what was happening underground in thirteen. She pledged her support.

Two weeks after Katniss and Peeta were arrested, there was a meeting held for everybody. Coin attempted to explain her position, and told the 900 adults on the hunger strike to start eating. As one, they refused.

Gale spoke up loud and clear. "Free Katniss and Peeta and give them back their child, then we'll eat."

Plutarch turned to Coin. "Madam President, support for you is eroding rapidly. They all view these actions of yours as being very similar to those of Snow, and they do not want another leader just like him. I think it is time to let Katniss and Peeta go free."

Coin looked out over the crowd of adults refusing to eat until she relented to their demands. Plutarch was right, she was losing support. After the war, there would be a free election. At this rate, she would not win the presidency.

"Very well. Release them and give them back their son."

Boggs himself went straight to their cells and let them both out, taking Mrs Everdeen and Sawyer with him. As soon as her door was opened, Katniss ran to pull Sawyer into her arms and cried in relief at finally holding their nine month son again. Peeta wrapped his arms around both of them.

Boggs walked them both back to their apartment. While they walked, Mrs Everdeen told them how 900 adults from twelve and thirteen had joined their hunger strike. She relayed how everyone was on their side, even Plutarch and Boggs. Paylor had learned of their plight, and was also on their side.

After Boggs had walked them back to their apartment, he met up with Gale and Plutarch. Together, they began to plot how to eventually get rid of President Coin for good. The new Panem would not be truly free if she was their leader.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you for all the reviews! :-) :-)**

After reaching their apartment, Katniss and Peeta laid down on the bed, Sawyer between them. Both talked to the boy about how much they loved him and how sorry they were for being away from him again. He was nine months old now.

At dinnertime, it was the first meal in two weeks that everybody who had participated in the hunger strike had eaten. Many people smiled at Katniss and Peeta as they entered the dining room, went through the line and ate. To many of them, standing up for the freedom of everyone had been worth not eating.

After Sawyer went to sleep, Katniss and Peeta laid him in his crib and then kissed and snuggled together. It was still three more weeks before they could be intimate again. The doctor had placed a strict six week restriction on her after her miscarriage.

There was a knock on their door. A doctor came into their apartment, stating he had birth control shots for both of them.

"Why him?" questioned Katniss. "Aren't those just for women?"

"It's a new development from the Capital. Men now get them, too."

"But we can't even have sex for three more weeks."

"I know that. It's on order of President Coin."

They looked at each other, and decided to comply.

"Might as well comply," shrugged Peeta.

"I'm not ready for another one anyway," stated Katniss, glancing at Sawyer. They both allowed the doctor to administer the birth control shots and laid down again after he left. They soon fell asleep.

After supper Effie had found her way to Haymitch's apartment, as was her habit nearly every night. He never said so, but he was glad to have her back and safe with him. They were both relieved that Katniss and Peeta had finally been freed and reunited with their son. Ever since the 74th games, they'd both felt like surrogate parents to the two teens, especially during the district tours.

During the Victory tour, Katniss had been five months pregnant. Because President Snow had been adamant that they convince the districts of their love for each other, Cinna had designed clothes that accentuated her belly. Of course, all the displays of love and affection in the world couldn't have quenched the fires of rebellion starting to smolder throughout Panem. Katniss and Peeta both knew this, and it was a source of enormous stress to them that Snow expected them to bring about peace when everyone was bent on rebellion.

Both had nightmares, but Katniss was the one who woke screaming every night. Peeta was always there to comfort her, since they slept in the same bed. They weren't officially married, because they were too young, but they'd had a toasting about a month prior.

If it hadn't been for Peeta, and even Effie and Haymitch making sure she ate, Katniss wouldn't have eaten hardly at all during the Victory tour. Every meal, the other three reminded her of her need to eat because of the baby. Then Haymitch and Effie also made sure Peeta ate, as his habit was to watch over Katniss but leave his own plate untouched.

Haymitch and Effie talked about all this as they lay together in Haymitch's apartment, her head on his chest. Both of them thought of the two as their kids.

Nearby, Katniss was sleeping with her head on Peeta's chest. Suddenly, he jumped up, roughly pushing her off him. She had been laying closer to the edge of the bed, so as he did this, she fell on the floor.

"You're a mutt!"

"No, Peeta, it's not real." Katniss began scooting backwards towards Sawyer's crib.

"You're a mutt! You killed my family!"

Katniss stood up and grabbed Sawyer, as Peeta menacingly approached her. His face was completely changed and his eyes were black instead of their usual bright blue. She backed away, trying to get to the door while holding the baby tightly.

She wasn't quick enough. Peeta grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her hard against the wall. Then he slapped her.

"Peeta, stop! No!"

"Shut up, you mutt! You think I wouldn't figure out this was Gale's bastard?"

"No, he's yours Peeta! I've never been with anyone else!"

Katniss hugged Sawyer tightly to her chest as tears ran down her cheeks. He started to cry, not liking the restraint and wanting to get down. As he started to wiggle around, she pulled him tighter.

Another hard slap landed across Katniss's face. Then another. And another. Her nose was bleeding and it was getting on the baby.

Peeta grabbed Sawyer out of her arms, and pushed her back as she lunged for him.

"I should just kill the little bastard! Then, I'll kill you!" Peeta threw Sawyer down into his crib and began putting a heavy pillow over his little head.

"Help!" "Haymitch! Boggs!" Katniss screamed for help as she grabbed a chair and hit Peeta over the head with it. He turned around in a rage, his attention now on her and the pillow still over Sawyer's face. The chair crashing against his head didn't seem to have fazed him.

"Don't hurt him! He didn't do anything. He's just a baby!" She tried to reach his crib to remove the pillow, but Peeta blocked her path.

"He's Gale's baby, you slut!"

Peeta threw Katniss onto the floor and jumped on her, wrapping his hands around her neck.

"Help! Somebody!"

She just managed a scream as his hands tightened around her throat, and the room began to go dark. Katniss managed to dig her nails into Peeta's hands, leaving deep scratch marks, but it didn't stop him. Tracker jacker Peeta was seemingly immune to pain.

Haymitch and Gale burst through the door, and pulled Peeta off the unconscious Katniss. Gale immediately punched Peeta to knock him out.

Mrs. Everdeen ran into the room right behind them. Haymitch hollered to her. "Check the baby!"

She gasped as she saw a big pillow over her grandson, and pulled it off of him, finding him also unconscious. She quickly checked for a pulse, and found none, and immediately started CPR. As she did rescue breaths and compressions, she heard CPR being done on Katniss as well.

Without a word, she hurried to the hospital with Sawyer, doing resuscitation the whole way. Luckily it was only one floor down. As she passed through the entrance, she yelled "Code Blue" and ran into a trauma room. Several medical personnel followed her and someone took over CPR.

A minute later, Gale and Haymitch ran in with Katniss. A nurse took them right to another trauma room, and they resumed CPR on her.

Mrs Everdeen had stepped back from the code team as they'd rushed into action over Sawyer. She watched as another team did the same across the hall for Katniss. Her daughter and her grandson, both fighting for their lives. She backed up against the wall in shock and watched both teams with a hand over her mouth. Right now, she was a mother and grandmother, not a healer.

Prim appeared at her side, and the two held each other. Hazelle soon stood on the other side of Mrs Everdeen. The minutes dragged on as the teams worked feverishly to save the mother and son. The three of them stood together, clinging to each other and hardly daring to breath.

Gale, Haymitch and Boggs walked into the hospital with an unconscious Peeta. Because he was breathing and not a priority, he was put in four point leather restraints, injected with heavy sedatives and left alone for the moment. They stood back, outside of the trauma rooms, and watched.

Finally, they heard the beep of a heart monitor coming from Katniss's room. "We got a pulse! She's back."

The team across the hall continued to work feverishly on Sawyer. His tiny heart just wouldn't restart. Finally, it did. "We got the baby!"

Hearing that her daughter and grandson had both been revived, Mrs Everdeen's legs gave out, and she slid to the floor, sobbing into her hands. Hazelle immediately sat next to her and pulled her into her arms, letting her cry on her shoulder. Now that the worst was past, her strength had given out.

Prim stood quietly and watched her mother cry. She was remembering seeing a doctor draw up two syringes at the hospital several hours before. President Coin had been with him, which was odd because she didn't normally come into the hospital. The two syringes had come from two different vials, one bigger and clear and the other tiny and black, unlike any vial Prim had ever seen before.

Suddenly, it clicked. She'd heard the doctor say it was birth control for Katniss and Peeta. She turned to her mom and Hazelle immediately. "I need to talk to you both. Now!"

"Prim, now's not…"

"Now, Mom! It's urgent. It's about Katniss and Peeta!" Prim's face was as serious as they'd ever seen it. She led them into the room she'd seen the syringes drawn up in. After the door was closed, she put on gloves and began rifling through the garbage.

"What's going on, Prim? Why are you looking through the garbage?"

Finding the two vials, she stood up and placed them in her mother's hand.

Then she spoke in a whisper. "Last night, just before I got done with my shift, I saw a doctor in here with President Coin. He drew up two syringes, one out of each of these, and they were talking about giving Katniss and Peeta birth control shots."

Mrs Everdeen looked closely at the two vials. She recognized the clear vial, it was in fact an injectable birth control medicine. Then she held up the black vial. There was a tiny Capital seal on the bottom.

She shook her head. "Men don't get birth control shots. This must be tracker jacker venom. Coin had Peeta injected with venom so he would kill Katniss and Sawyer." She shoved the vials in her pocket, then looked at Hazelle.

The two women stared at each other for a moment. A mother and son were on ventilators, fighting for their lives, and Coin had orchestrated it. Mrs Everdeen tightened her lips into a thin line and a crease appeared on Hazelle's forehead. It was obvious both women were silently livid. It was like being trapped underground with President Snow.

"Let's go before someone sees us in here. I'm going to find Haymitch. Prim, go back to bed. Hazelle, you talk to Gale."

The three men were outside the door waiting, having seen the three of them go in there and sensing something significant was being discussed.

Hazelle turned to Gale, patting him on the back and shooting him a significant look.

"Come, son, let's get some rest."

"Alright, Mom." Gale nodded, knowing she would fill him in when it was safe to.

Mrs Everdeen turned to Haymitch. "How is Effie? I heard she wasn't well, so I'll come back with you to check on her." He raised his eyebrows at her, knowing Effie wasn't ill and wondering what was going on. Then he shot a look at Boggs, who followed Gale.

After Hazelle had talked to Gale and Boggs, they joined the other three. Haymitch sought out Plutarch, who led the six of them to an underground dairy farm to talk. Even though it was hundreds of feet underground, it had grass, dirt, hay and even buzzing insects. The thirty cows living in the enormous room made plenty of noise, which was what they needed. The people who milked the cows every day weren't due to arrive for an hour, according to Boggs.

Haymitch brought Plutarch and Boggs up to speed. Luckily, there was still a supply of antivenom on hand, and Plutarch knew where it was. He handed Mrs Everdeen the key to get the locked cabinet for it open, so she could begin giving shots to Peeta and reverse the damage done.

The group made the decision not to confront Coin just yet. But, her days as President were numbered.

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Both Katniss and Sawyer were on breathing machines, with tubes down their throat and many other lines and wires. Just like after the Quell, they were put in the same room. First thing in the morning, Mrs Everdeen and Prim checked on them. They brought chairs in the room and prepared to camp out as long as they needed to. Then Mrs Everdeen left the room to give Peeta his first antivenom shot.

Haymitch was with Peeta, telling him what had happened. When he heard that he'd nearly killed his wife and son, he broke down sobbing. He looked up at Katniss's mom and shook his head.

"I'm so sorry. I nearly killed her. I understand if everyone hates me."

"Everyone doesn't hate you. We're gonna make you better again. They're going to be ok."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!" She spoke with more confidence than she felt. Neither was out of the woods. After giving him his shot, she left.

"Haymitch, why did President Coin do this?"

"We think she feels threatened by Katniss, and doesn't like her because she can't control her. So she tried to get rid of her."

Peeta stared at his hands, hands that had hours before tried to strangle his wife and smother his son. "She has to pay, and so does Snow."

Haymitch nodded. "We agree."


	7. Chapter 7

Two weeks later, Katniss and Sawyer both remained comatose and dependent on ventilators to breathe.

Prim and Mrs Everdeen spent as much time with them as they could. It was the third time in district thirteen that they'd kept vigil by Katniss's bedside as she lay in a coma.

The first week, Peeta had been not allowed out of his locked hospital room. He got the required amount of tracker jacker antivenom and then extra doses for good measure.

Dr Aurelius met with him everyday. It hadn't taken long for Peeta to understand that Katniss and Sawyer were not his enemy. But he needed the Dr to sign off on his safety before he could leave his room and see his family.

Once Peeta was given release, he spent every minute with his wife and son. Even though they were both unconscious, he talked to them and told them how sorry he was. He could still see the hand shaped bruises on Katniss's neck.

Three weeks after the incident, there was little sign either would wake up. No one was giving up hope, but their situation didn't look promising. Every hour that passed without improvement sunk Peeta deeper into despair. He knew the tracker jacker venom had caused his actions, but he still blamed himself and was becoming suicidal.

When Gale came to visit Katniss's bedside, he told Peeta he was headed to the Capital to help the rebels. The distraught husband and father decided he wanted to join. He could help fight against Snow and hopefully would die in the process. He was causing nothing but harm to his little family and they would be better off without him. If Katniss recovered, she could marry Gale.

Peeta approached Boggs that day about joining the fight in the Capital, and was approved to enlist. They were leaving the following morning, three weeks and two days after the tracker jacker attack. Peeta said goodbye to Mrs Everdeen and Prim, who promised they would continue to look after Katniss and Sawyer.

Peeta wrote letters to Katniss and Sawyer and left them with her mom. In Katniss's letter, he told her how much he loved her and how sorry he was for nearly killing her and Sawyer.

 _Dear Katniss,_

 _Words can't express how sorry I am for what I did. I never meant to nearly kill you and Sawyer. I love the two of you more than anything in this world. If you both wake up again and make it through this, I hope one day the two of you can forgive me._

 _I'm on my way to the Capital to fight with the rebels and I don't expect to make it out alive. You'll be better off without me._

 _I plan to ask Gale to watch out for the two of you. He'll be sure you have everything you need as you raise Sawyer without me. You won't be alone._

 _Please know that If I die, it was while I was doing everything I could to help bring down Snow. It's worth the sacrifice knowing Sawyer hopefully will never have his name in a reaping bowl._

 _I will always love you, and Sawyer, until my dying breath._

 _Love, Peeta_

Then he wrote a letter to be given to Sawyer when he reached adulthood.

 _Dear Sawyer,_

 _I know you don't remember me, but I'm your biological father. If you're reading this, that means I was killed in action while aiding the rebels to overthrow President Snow. Please know I died making sure you had a better future than what the old Panem would have given you. I'm sure you've learned about the Games and the Capital by now. Hopefully, your world has been better than that._

 _I'm sorry I wasn't there to watch you grow up. I wish I could have seen your first steps, taught you how to ride a bike, thrown a ball back and forth, taught you my wrestling moves and taught you how to bake bread. There was so much I wanted to show you and tell you._

 _Love, your father,_

 _Peeta Mellark_

Then he said goodbye to his wife and child with tears streaming down his face, knowing he may never see them again and not knowing if they would ever recover.

"I'm sorry, Katniss. I'm so sorry! I love you, baby!" He kissed her cheek, then laid his head on her shoulder and sobbed.

"Time to move out, Soldier Mellark!" Boggs had come into the hospital room with him.

"Just a couple moments more," Peeta requested. Boggs nodded and stepped back. The young father kissed his unconscious son on the forehead and whispered to him. "I love you, Sawyer. I'm so sorry!"

As Boggs watched, he thought about how Peeta had experienced more than enough heartbreak for his seventeen years of life. He hoped that one day, Katniss and Sawyer would recover and the three of them would be reunited and be able to live in peace. The military commander made a silent vow to do everything in his power to make that happen, including eliminating Coin.

He'd secretly informed Commander Paylor of Coin's latest action and she agreed that the woman should not be able to become President. But what they didn't have just yet was a plan. She knew Peeta was joining the district 13 soldiers coming to the Capital and hoped along with Boggs that he would someday be reunited with his wife and child.

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Boggs, Jackson and the district 13 soldiers took a hovercraft to District 12, where they would take a train into the Capital. It was the first time Peeta had seen his district since the bombing. Because the train wouldn't be departing for a few hours, he and Gale were able to walk around and survey the damage. Peeta stood silently in front of the bombed-out bakery for several minutes, then he walked to the meadow and picked a large bouquet of flowers that he laid on the ground in front of where the bakery door had been.

Gale approached him and stood silently nearby as Peeta knelt down in front of what had once been a large bread oven. After several silent moments, they walked to Peeta's house in the Victor's Village.

"If I don't make it out of this, you'll watch over them, won't you?"

Gale didn't need to ask who Peeta was referring to. He knew this was about Katniss and Sawyer.

"Sounds like you aren't planning on leaving the Capital alive."

"No, I'm not a true soldier, so I don't think I'll survive this. Besides, they'll be better off without me."

"Peeta, Katniss loves you. She wouldn't be better off without you. Your Sawyer's father. He needs you."

"She doesn't need a husband who could at any second lose his mind and kill her or Sawyer. My son does not need a father who could snap in an instant and turn on him. I know you're capable of making sure they're taken care of. If I die, you'll do that for me, won't you?"

Gale swallowed hard. He considered what Peeta was asking of him. Then he nodded. "Yes, if you die I will do everything in my power to ensure they are alright. But try not to let that happen, okay Peeta?" He'd long ago, when he'd learned of Katniss's pregnancy, let go of the idea that he and Katniss would ever be together. But he would never stop being her best friend. They'd always be hunting partners.

"Thank you, Gale."

"You're welcome."

The two made their way to the train station in silence. Boggs and everyone else were waiting for them.

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It took three days to get to the Capital by this slower cargo train. Whenever they stopped to fuel up, they got out and stretched their legs. The last night, Peeta stared up at the stars in district three as he walked beside the train, remembering how he'd watched the arena sky for days as he was slowly dying from his leg wound in the 74th games. Every night, he'd watch to see if Katniss's face was displayed among the day's dead tributes. He never thought he'd make it out of those games alive and had accepted his impending death.

Then in the second arena, he'd wanted to die so that Katniss could live. He wanted her to win the Quarter Quell so she could raise their son. A second time he'd accepted his death.

And now here he was again, resigned to his fate. The Capital was dangerous territory for the rebels, laden with pods designed to destroy as many soldiers as possible. Unlike the rest of his squad, he had no military training. He also knew just being in the Capital itself could give him a flashback. His chances of survival were low and he accepted that.

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Earlier that day, Katniss's eyes had fluttered open as Hazelle kept vigil by her and Sawyer while Prim and Mrs Everdeen were on duty.

As she hit the call button, Katniss yanked out her breathing tube and coughed. Then she yanked out her feeding tube from her nose.

Seeing the call light on, both her mom and sister hurried in.

"Sawyer?" Katniss's voice was little more than a whisper, and raspy.

Prim sat down on the bed next to her while Mrs Everdeen carefully lifted Sawyer into Katniss's arms.

"He's still unconscious. Do you remember what happened?"

Katniss nodded. She looked down at the 11 month old boy in her arms. "Will he be okay?"

"We don't know yet what kind of damage may have been done to his brain."

"What happened? Why did Peeta do that?"

"We'll talk about that in a while. The other doctors need to look you over." Mrs Everdeen left to summon the neurology specialist, who came in and examined Katniss. After she left, the two women sat down by her while Prim returned to work, shutting the door behind her.

"Katniss, what do you remember about that night?"

"I remember a doctor coming in to give us birth control shots. Then we snuggled and went to sleep. When we woke up, he thought I was a mutt and turned on me and Sawyer."

"That wasn't birth control in his shot. It was tracker jacker venom. Coin was behind it."

"Coin?" Katniss asked in disbelief.

"Yes."

"She has to pay!" Katniss's eyes flashed and her fists clenched as she sat forward. Her mom put a hand on her arm while Hazelle rubbed her back.

"And she will."

"How?"

"Leave that up to us. Right now you need to recover from a nearly month long coma."

"Where's Peeta?"

Mrs Everdeen took a deep breath, knowing Katniss was not going to like the answer. "He went to the Capital to fight with the rebels."

Katniss stared at her. "Why would he do that?"

"He was, still is actually, so angry at himself that he thought you would be better off without him. I don't think he's expecting to make it out alive."

Katniss leaned back against the bed with a sigh. She shut her eyes as she realized she may never see Peeta again.

"Is there any way to talk to him?"

"There might be. I'll find Haymitch and see what we can do." Hazelle left to go find Katniss's mentor. About 45 minutes later, she returned with a radio and Haymitch. Plutarch had wanted to come along, but Haymitch had convinced him to visit her the next day. The gamemaker wasn't happy, but accepted it.

"Hey, Sweetheart, you're awake!"

"Why did you let him go?"

"Sweetheart, he's a grown man. He can make his own decisions. He'll be eighteen soon."

"Good point. So can I talk to him?"

Haymitch reached Boggs on the radio.

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In district three, Boggs approached Peeta with a radio as he stood outside the train. "It's Haymitch."

Peeta took a deep breath and put it to his ear, bracing himself for the worst.

"This is Peeta."

"Katniss is awake, and she's off the breathing machine as of about six hours ago."

"That's good news. How is Sawyer?"

"He's still unconscious. She won't leave his side, but she's too weak to care for him."

"Is she… Is Katniss angry with me?"

"No, she knows it was because you were given tracker jacker venom. She also knows you're on your way to the Capital to fight. She's asking to talk to you."

"Ok."

"Peeta!"

Peeta took a deep breath as he heard Katniss's voice for the first time in nearly a month. It sounded hoarse, no doubt from being strangled and then having a tube down her throat for weeks. The last time he'd heard her voice, she was begging for hers and Sawyer's lives. He shuddered.

"Katniss! Baby, I am so, so sorry!"

"I know, I know. It wasn't your fault, Peeta."

"Do they think Sawyer will wake up?"

"I don't know… The doctor said he might have lifelong disabilities if he does."

A tear trickled down Peeta's cheek. "Well, I'm going to fight for a world that can help him if he does. Hopefully, that won't happen, though."

"I know you have to go. I love you, Peeta!"

"I don't deserve you loving me. I really don't."

"Yes, you do."

"Okay. I love you too, Katniss."

"Goodbye, Peeta."

"Goodbye, girl on fire."

Peeta handed the radio back to Boggs, and stared up at the stars again as he walked away. Tears ran down his cheeks as he thought about what Katniss had told him. If Sawyer did wake up, he would likely have lifelong disabilities. He laid down on the ground and covered his face with his hands and wept. He was supposed to protect his son, not hurt him.

His mother's words when he'd told his family about Katniss's pregnancy rang in his ears.

" _What'd you go and knock up a Seam slut for? You're gonna be a horrible father, you can't do anything right. I don't know why I wasted my time trying to teach you anything."_ He was already living with Katniss in the Victor's Village, so he walked out the door and avoided his mother the best he could whenever he worked at the bakery. They never spoke again outside of the day to day bakery operations.

Now, in his despair, Peeta wondered if she was right. Maybe he was never fit to be a father in the first place.

Back on the train, he told Gale about his conversation with Katniss. His fellow soldier placed a hand on his shoulder, but said nothing for a minute.

"No matter what ends up happening with him, I'll watch over them if you don't make it and make sure he has everything he needs."

"Thanks, Gale."

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Katniss kept vigil by Sawyer's bedside, though she was too weak to even get out of bed. Her mom and sister stayed with them when they weren't on duty. This scenario had been played out too many times since their arrival to thirteen.

Katniss started talking to Sawyer frequently, and even sang and read to him. She was hoping the sound of her voice would be comforting and would somehow reach into wherever he was and bring him back to them.

 _In the arms of the angel_  
 _Fly away from here_  
 _From this dark, cold hotel room_  
 _And the endlessness that you fear_  
 _You are pulled from the wreckage_  
 _Of your silent reverie_  
 _You're in the arms of the angel_  
 _May you find some comfort here_

 _(Angel, Sarah McLachlan)_

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The first two weeks in the Capital passed without incident for Peeta and Gale and the rest of squad 451. They mainly filmed propos and blew up pods as "the on-screen faces of the revolution". Finnick was also with them, having gotten married just a couple of days before they left.

Peeta, Boggs and Gale had discreetly filled in the rest of the squad on what had happened with the tracker jacker venom. Everyone was in agreement that something had to be done about Coin or she would run Panem very much like Snow. No one wanted that.

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After two weeks, Katniss was discharged from the hospital, but stayed by Sawyer constantly. His first birthday was celebrated with him still in a coma. Katniss, Prim, Hazelle and Mrs Everdeen sang Happy Birthday, but the song ended with tears instead of claps.

That night, Katniss laid down on her cot next to Sawyer's little bed and fell asleep with her hand on his belly. She was awoken a couple hours later by the sound of whimpering. She immediately checked on him and found her son's eyes open.

"Sawyer! Mom! Prim! He's awake!"

Both jumped up and joined Katniss and the three cried as they watched him looking around and moving his arms and legs. Just the day before, the pediatric doctor had talked to them about turning off the ventilator and letting him die. He didn't think he had much brain activity and would never be taken off the breathing machine. Katniss had refused.

The pediatrician examined him and he was removed from the ventilator. The feeding tube remained in place. It could take a while for Sawyer to take oral feedings again, and even longer for him to regain the developmental milestones he'd reached.

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In the bombed out shop that squad 451 had stationed themselves in, Boggs received another radio call from Haymitch. He handed it to Peeta, who stepped away from the group, once again fearing the worst.

"Peeta, Sawyer is awake. He woke up during the night."

"Is he...ok?"

"I'll let you talk to Katniss."

"Peeta! He's awake!"

"That's great. Does it seem like he's ok?"

"We don't know for sure, but he's looking around and moving his arms and legs. He's still on a feeding tube and it will take a while for him to regain skills."

"Will you put the radio up to him?"

"Yes." Katniss held the radio near Sawyer's ear and smiled as she heard Peeta talking to their son.

"Hi, Sawyer! It's Daddy. I love you! Don't give Mommy any trouble, okay?"

"Dadadadada"

Peeta took a deep breath to control his emotions as he heard his son babbling his name. He didn't think he would ever hear that tiny voice again. Despite his best efforts, a tear slipped down his cheek, followed by several more.

Katniss brought the radio up to her own ear again. "Did you hear that?" She was crying.

"Yeah, I did. Maybe he will be okay!"


	8. Author's Note

I do love this story, but it's gonna be a while before it's updated again. I just lost my job and have to focus on getting a new one. I also am going through a divorce. No, I don't want sympathy. Just wanted y'all to know that while I'm not abandoning this story, I'm gonna have to step away for a while.

May consider giving it up for adoption to the right person, but we'll see.

One way or another, it will get finished. I just don't know when.

Pf75


	9. Chapter 9

**So I'm finally posting an update to this story! It's been a stressful few months. I don't know when I'll post another update. Thanks for the reviews, follows and favorites!**

After Peeta finished talking to Katniss, he returned to his squadron to update them on Sawyer. Everyone was relieved he'd woken up.

Sawyer continued on the feeding tube, and also received food by bottle and by spoon feeding. He wasn't walking again yet, but he was still babbling and said Mama and Dada.

Katniss and he returned to the apartment she'd shared with Peeta, next to her mom and sister. Every night, she cried herself to sleep missing Peeta.

In the Capital, Peeta was missing her, too. Squad 451 was continuing to shoot propos while the rest of the rebels carried out the actual fighting.

Back in District 13, Plutarch was formulating a plan with Paylor. The two talked via radio early in the mornings. Their conversations consisted of war updates and plans to eliminate Coin. In the background, they could hear explosions from Paylor's side and cows from Plutarch's side. He always talked in the cow pasture.

Coin always took pills to be able to sleep at night. He alone had access to Coin's private quarters. While she was in a meeting, he replaced them with pills that looked the same but were actually poisoned. She had tried to kill Katniss and Sawyer with underhanded measures, and that's exactly how she was going to die. Peeta and Katniss had not expected venom to be in the birth control shot anymore than she was expecting poison to be in her sleeping pills.

Coin went to sleep that night after taking her pills, feeling just fine. Two hours later, she woke up barely able to breath and unable to move. As she gasped for air, she realized that must have been how Katniss had felt when Peeta had almost strangled her to death. Tiny Sawyer must have felt like this as he'd struggled under the large cushion bigger than him that his father had placed over him. She remembered with regret how she'd ordered the doctor to give Peeta the tracker jacker venom that set off those events.

She caught sight of a picture of her deceased husband and child. That made her remember how she'd taken Sawyer away from the couple and put the two of them in separate jail cells for not cooperating with her.

As she felt the world around her getting darker and further away, Coin realized she'd abused her power beyond what anyone, even Plutarch, was willing to tolerate and now she was paying the price. Her last thought was that she never should have threatened the Mockingjay.

The next morning, she didn't show up to the 8:00 meeting in Command. When Plutarch went to investigate, he of course found her dead. An announcement was made to the entire district that she had died of heart failure. He was made District 13's new president.

Plutarch had no aspiration to be leader of Panem. He knew Paylor would most likely be voted in as the first president of the free Panem. If only they could get to that point.

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That same day, things began to change for Squad 451. They had just set off a pod that had sent sprays of flames into an alleyway. The Holo wasn't indicating anymore, so Boggs walked through it. Halfway through the alley, he stepped on a hidden landmine and was sent flying when it exploded. He landed 20 feet away, with his legs blown off.

Squad 451 rushed to his side, but there was nothing they could do. His last words instructed them to kill Snow and end the war.

No sooner had his eyes closed then walls started to enclose the open alleyways around them. A large black wave of something that looked like tar crested and started moving in their direction. They ran to the nearest apartment and broke in. The foul liquid came in under the door, so they ran to the second floor. It creeped most of the way up the stairs, but thankfully stopped before it reached them.

After it had hardened, the soldiers determined it wasn't going to show footprints. They quickly made their way to another abandoned apartment on the other side of the alley.

They held their breath and watched through a window as peacekeepers surrounded the apartment they had just left. In moments, the whole building section was blown to bits.

Taking advantage of the fact that they were believed to be dead, they headed underground towards the presidential mansion. Pollux had spent five years working under the city, so he knew how to navigate the tunnels.

They were able to avoid trucks full of peacekeepers, toxic drainage tunnels and working avoxes, but not President Snow's mutts. By the time they surfaced again, just a few blocks from the mansion, only four remained. Pollux, Peeta, Gale, and Cressida.

Cressida guided the rest to a little fur shop owned by a woman sympathetic to the rebel cause. It wasn't safe to be out on the streets since everyone in the Capital was looking for them.

The shop owner, Tigress, was able to shelter the battered crew for a few days. All had sustained injuries battling Snow's mutts.

Peeta was surprised and almost angry that he was still alive. Even though Katniss and Sawyer were recovered from his attacks, he couldn't forgive himself for what happened.

Gale and the rest of the crew reminded him how it wasn't any of his fault that Coin had injected him with venom. They all knew how much Katniss loved Peeta, especially Gale, so they helped him to realize he needed to fight to get back home.

Before they left, Tigress helped them disguise themselves well enough to not be recognized.


End file.
